Were do we go from Here?
by mystjade
Summary: Angel is busy: Slaying demons, working at an advertising company, raising the daughter of his deceased ex-girlfriend, and falling in love with ... Willow(Still Bangle friendly)
1. Newborn Moon

**Disclaimer:** All recognizable characters belong to Joss Whedon.

AU: This story takes place in an alternate universe, were Darla was never pregnant. Were the group never visited Pylea (i.e. no Fred), and the rest you should be able to pick up as you go along.

**Authors Note:** For some bizarre reason my first chapter disappeared off the face of the earth. So I have to replace it with a brand new first chapter. Hopefully everything else will make sense now.

**September 2005**

It was a cool midnight in Los Anglos, as Catrina started to jog through the park. She was too busy dreaming of a newborn moon, Chocolate Cake, and Kade Foster to notice the man running towards her. Too busy to notice that he was not a man.

Too busy to notice in till the demon punched her in the jaw. Catrina fell backwards, waiting to hit the ground. Trying to remember how to defend herself. What was she supposed to do, bite, kick, sing?

She didn't half to defend herself because just then a man appeared among the trees carrying a long sword. This man (Angel) screamed for her: a battle cry. The demon turned, and swung at angel.

Angel stopped the demon's arm mid swing, and twisted it backwards. Now it was the demons turn to scream, and it did, but angel just drew back his sword then plunged it into the demons stomach. The demon died there, on the sidewalk, a lump of flesh between Catrina and her hero.

"Thanks" Catrina said.

Angel didn't know how to reply, the whole Boy Scout routine belonged to Superman, or at the very least an Angel from a different time.

So Angel who had rescued hundreds of girls a year, said nothing.

He just vanished into the wood. Leaving Catrina to wonder were her hero went next, did he truly vanish into smoke, did he return home to a loving wife?

Actually at this pint even Angel didn't know what would happen next. He had received a phone call earlier that evening from willow: Buffy had died, and willow was barely alive.

Willow's voice kept on breaking up over the phone light, Angel remembered just saying yes to all her questions. Would Angel Pick Her and Stella Up from the airport? Yes. Would Angel be at gate three? Yes. Would angel look after Stella once they arrived? Yes.

Angle kept on asking himself why all the yeses? Why did he agree to raise Buffy and Spikes daughter Stella? Why did he agree to defend Stella from Spike?

Because Stella was ultimately Buffy's child and he loved Buffy.


	2. A death in the faimly

**Authors Note**: Thanks Ka-mia2286, The Lady Morgaine, Gigi13, and Buffster. I forgot to mention this in the first chapter, but _Were do we Go From Here,_ is a prequel to my fanfic, _An Honorable Linage_. So if you want to learn more about the fate of Buffy's descendents, read (and review- please) _An Honorable Linage_. Although one is not dependent on the other.

**Angel POV: September 2007**

Cordy, Wes and I had been waiting at LAX, for more then an hour now. If we had to wait for Willow much longer, I wouldn't be able to leave the airport without a rather large golf umbrella and a trench coat. Damn Sunlight. It cramps even the worst fashonista/ vampire's style

Not that I care about appearances, or anything.

"Flight 742 from London has arrived, at gate three" The voice over the airport loudspeaker bellowed.

I turned, and started walking towards gate three, Cordy and Wes followed me. I paced back and forth, in full brood mode for a few minutes, before the travelers began to enter the airport properly. Willow was one of the last to leave the baggage area, limping slightly as she held Stella by the hand.

"Hi" was all Willow could manage to say. I handed her a cup of coffee, and she managed a wane smile. Stella was wrapped around willows leg, the last time I had seen her, she had only been a bump, in her mother's stomach.

"Do you have any bags?" I ask Willow.

Willow shook her head. For once Willow didn't babble, she really must be injured.

We drove to the Hyperion, in silence. We were too busy mourning Buffy to speck, or at least I was. A tear slipped out, as I drove past Loews beach hotel. Willow reached over and touched my hand gently

I turned up Brock road, towards the Hyperion. I could smell Gunns blood, even before I could see the Hotel.

"Spike's in the Hyperion" I said, everyone remained silent. I wondered how long that would last. "I am going in alone. . ."

"But why?" Cordy protested, "We can just temporarily abandon the hotel."

"Gunn's in there" I said quietly

"Are you sure?" Wesley said, "in that case I should help"

" No you can't " I said.

Wesley, didn't realize that I wasn't going in to rescue Gunn, I was going in to retrieve a body. "Cordy drive everyone over to Wesley's apartment. Spike won't know were it is"

As the car approached the hotel, I vamped out. Stella screamed, the kind of scream that most people only make right before they die. Willow tried to calm Stella, down as I left the car, stake in hand the sun was just eclipsing the horizon, I would have to leave through the sewer.

I entered through the front door, and there was Gunn, lying in the middle of the room bleeding and beaten. Spike loomed over the body. I was running towards Gunn, when two vampires attacked, me. I ducked, and they crashed into each other.

Flunkies, are almost always useless in less you had enough of them. And Spike had enough, and then some. There were, at least a dozen Vampires in the lobby.

I staked the first two that attacked me with relative ease. Then Spike jumped into to the fray. Great, That's all I needed Spike, struck out first with a balled fist, and a petty insult "I shouldn't have even bothered with the minions".

Spikes fist hit me solidly in the chest, and I fell backwards. But thankfully I had the foresight, to drag Spike down with me.

Spike and I stood up quickly; Spike attempted a high kick, but I ducked, and kicked out at an angle, hard and fast. I landed the sidekick, and Spike buckled over. Another vampire attacked me, I staked it with ease, and then ran for Gunn's body. I grabbed it just as Spike lunged towards me. I used the body as a shield to shelter my chest from Spikes jabs, as I lifted up my foot and slammed the heel down, on top of Spikes tennis shoes. Spike stumbled backwards, as I fled towards the sewer. Gunn's body cradled in my arms.

I reached Cordy's apartment right after nightfall. I had wondered around in the sewers alldays just to make sure that I wasn't being followed. When I finely arrived, three pale white faces, and one makeup covered four year old, greeted me.

**Next chapter:** The search for a new office, Stella's fifth birthday, and a love struck Wesley. **Please Review**.


	3. A Night On the Town

**Authors note:** A belated thanks to tariq. Angel answered the stranger's questions for two reasons 1. He has done it before in: Untouched, City Of, Ring, etc (so it is in character). 2. He is sad and panicked. We all know what a dramatic effect Darla's rebirth had on him (particularly in Dear Boy), why wouldn't Buffy's death have a similarly significant impact. Also I will occasionally refer to Stella, as Stell, this is a Nickname not a typo.

* * *

**Willow POV  
January 2008**,

I was brushing my hair, when I heard Stella's small feet squeak behind me. I whirled around, and found myself staring at her legs, which were waving around in my face. Stella was doing a handstand on my bed. She had only learned how to do one properly, a couple day's ago, and she was proud of her achievement. So proud, that she had done a handstand in the tower right near the ledge, and almost given her poor daddy a heart attack (well it would have if he was alive). The repercussions of the tower handstand were lectures all around.

"Can we go up to the tower Mom?" Stella whined.

"Sure" I said. Spike had occupied the hotel for three years now, and our attempt's at reclaiming the Hypernion, were futile because of the sheer number of vampires that had rallied around Spike. So Angel and I (after camping out at Wesley's for far too long), bought an old fire station, complete with bell tower, and refurbished it. Stella, and I lived on the loft like second floor, and angel lived in the tower room. The Bottom floor was of course devoted to the detective agency.

The tower, were the fire bell once hung, was open at the top, with no child safety barricades. It was Stella's favorite place in the world, but she wasn't old enough to go there alone.

"Willow" Angel yelled, we had installed an intercom a year ago; angel has yet to use it.

"Coming" I bellowed back "later Stell. Later" I said, as I walked over to the pole and slid down. I managed to land on my feet after the slide, a rare event. Then I entered. Angel's office.

Sitting in a chair across the table, from my favorite vampire, was Wesley and a tall gangly woman with gold hair. Angel Introduced me as I entered "willow this is Elizabeth, Elizabeth meet my partner Willow"

Angel's people skills had approved over the years. Slightly.

"So anyways" Elizabeth said, "A group of Vampires, have began to meet at my bar. Regularly, and they are scaring off all my paying customers. So, I was wondering, if you could come in this Friday, and dust them. I would pay you of course."

Angel and I nodded are response, but Wesley (blushing) stammered the word "s-s-su-re". You would think that after all this time, he wouldn't be quite so obvios, about who he found atractive. But apparently not, while Angel and I had grown darker, and more mature, the others, particularly Cordy had stayed the same.

Elizabeth stood up and left the office, after scribbling down her pubs address on a post it note. We would see her again, tomorrow at ten o'clock, at the Fourth Durango.

* * *

Pub Night 

Wesley showed up, at the office an hour before sunset, three hours before Elizabeth expected us. He had a new haircut, fresh breath (thank goodness), contacts (even though I think he looks better, in glasses) and a suit.

"Wesley"

"What, Willow?"

"Why are you wearing a suit? Are you suddenly too good for cotten and plaid?"

"Does it look good?"

"It looks symphony good" Wesley smiled and I realized that I had said the wrong thing. "But not pub crawling to kill vampires good. It's more of a dean martin Sinatra suit (oh willow, stop yourself from babbling), then a nerdy (stupid willow stupid) I didn't mean nerdy I Meant sophisticated stu. . ."

Angel stopped my babbling then, by coming up behind me and gently stroking my shoulder.

"You should wear, a nice black cashmere turtle neck" Angel observed "your less likely to look like a mortician then".

"Yes" I said, silently thanking my momentary savior, "You can Borrow one of Angels"

"No" Angel declared.

"But" I insisted, "it's perfect."

"No" Angel repeated.

"Fine" I said, "then you have to give Stella the talk when the time comes"

Angel didn't even comment, he just went back to his office as I led Wesley upstairs.

* * *

Three and A Half Hours Later: 

I hoped Cordy was taking good care of Stella, while we were out. Not sucking the brain out of her head, with seventeen, or even worse Cosmo. Ugh. I panicked and reached for my cell phone. Angel stopped me "It's ok willow, really, three call per night, is enough".

I nodded, and then noticed, one of Elizabeth's customers vamp out. I would have screamed, but Elizabeth took care of it for me with an enormously loud war cry. Now that's a good woman.

Angel leapt at the vampire with his stake in his hand, the vampire tried to defend himself with a quick punch. Angel easily deflected the punch and staked the vampire. That's when the fight got really messy.

Six other seemingly harmless patrons had similarly put on there game faces. One was right next to me. I grabbed the stake from my coat pocket, and I stabbed at the vampire's heart. Instead I stabbed him in the stomach. The Khaki clad vampire winced, but didn't disenagrate.

I tried to grab the stake back, but it was lodged in the Vampires chest. I pulled harder and the vampire had begun to start laughing, at my futile attempt to get the piece of wood back. Then He pushed me to the floor, and went for the neck. Then he fell backwards; At this point everything was happening so fast I didn't know what was going on. But I knew enough to pray. Neo Pagan or not, Stella needed a mother. Suddenly a dust cloud surrounded me. Hopefully not Angel.

Slowly the dust cleared, and I saw Angel. His shirt slightly torn, helping a girl up, from the floor. So Stella's parents had survived to see another day. But if we stayed in this line of work, one of us would inevitably die, and not of old age. Not that dieing of old age will ever be an option for Angel.

**Please Review:** I desperately need to know whether or not I should make Willow/Angels relationship romantic or keep it plutonic. Are the time shift's o.k? I am planning to cover most of Stella's life in approximately ten chapters, Is that too long?

P.S. I probably won't update till the fifth, because I will be away on vacation without Internet access.


	4. The Hockey Game

**Authors note: **Thanks for the reviews and the votes ka-mia2286 and Mercy 56, love it is. Although nothing too fluffy(I hope). Also Thank You Coolcarmellow. I am also a Faith Wesley shipper, and I am thinking about writing a fanfic about them, but faith has too many issues to be resigned to the role of a minor character, which the plot demands her(and Wesley to be). However Wesley will find happiness(i.e. a wife) in this story.

**Angel POV:**

"Liam be quite," Willow said, as she pulled on a sweater.

Willow is the only one who calls me Liam. I have never asked her why, but it all started the day Stella asked what my real name was.

"We are going to be late" I whined. After six years, I know exactly how to push willows buttons. Pleading is effective, but whining is foolproof "It's her first game"

"It's just Hockey" Willow said, as she put another layer of lipstick on. "Do you even like hockey?"

That was beside the point. "Willow just hurry up" I said, as Cordy entered the room, wearing a long black skirt, and a low cut red blouse with some of kind of disgusting floral pattern on it.

"Angel calm down" Cordy said, straitening out her skirt.

"You know were going to a hockey game, not the ballet?" I asked, trying not to sound too alarmed.

"I have a date" Cordy said with a smile, and a half spin "so the location's kind of irrelevant"

"And the fact that the temperature will be negative three, is irrelevant too? " I interjected.

"Our love will keep us warm" Cordy said, although at this point she picked up one of willows numerous sweaters, and slipped it on. Checking in the mirror to make sure it matched the skirt.

"What love? Have you even met him before?" I said, genuinely concerned, Cordellia's like a younger sister to me. An annoying, shallow, fashion obsessed younger sister, but still a sister.

"Well" Cordy volunteered "I needed a date and he's rich, so naturally it was love at first sight."

"Why do you need a date?' Willow asked.

"Well Wesley's got Elizabeth, so. . ." Cordilia shrugged her shoulders, and left the room. Assuming that we innately knew the answer.

"Shall we" I said ushering willow towards the door, Slipping naturally into an imitation of Bobby Darien. Because around Willow, almost everything came naturally.

She smiled, and then giggled at my antiquated English "Yes we shell".

Before she stepped out the door, she stood on her tiptoes, and lightly touched her lips to mine, but only for a moment. Then she stood back and blushed. The kind of full body blush that only the Irish (even the Jewish Irish) can have.

I stammered for a second her lips had interfered with my brain, and my hands. Willow ran towards the car. Leaving me there to think. In till the phones rings interrupted my trance. I grabbed at the old black phone picked it up and answered.

"Angel investigations, we help the hopeless"

"Hi" the lady on the other end murmured, "I need help". The voice on the other end was calm. The kind of voice that the rich acquire after a lifetime, of doing nothing but talking.

"With what?" My voice tends to bother the rich, because I once was wealthy, and now I am not.

"We have a ghost. It's dreadful, it moans at night and it smells awful, can you come and get rid of it"

"We will do that, when do you need our services"

The women laughed, "Well right now of course, we live at 56 cla…"

"Excuse me, we can visit you tomorrow. But tonight we already have work."

"Well, it's a one night offer, other wise we can wait for a TV personality to do a proper job."

"fine" I said and hung up the phone. I was late now I had to go. I had never given up a job before. But there is a difference between my mission, and wealthy peoples disillusions. At least I hope there was

**Seconds before Intermission at the hockey game:**

"You would have thought that Stella would have inherited some, strength or skill from Buffy and Spike " Willow whispered into my ear as Stella, fell on the ice, yet again. Willow's question was tentative, obviously she felt a little awkward too.

"Actually before Spike was a vampire, he was a weak klutzy, human" I whispered, in willow's ear.

"Great" Willow replied. Just the whisper in my ear felt sensual after the kiss. But I am sure she didn't feel the same. After all willow is gay, and I am a Man (or a vampire with masculine parts, if you want to be nitpicky).

The buzzer went off signaling intermission (or whatever you call the midpoint in a hockey game). My vampire hearing makes hockey games rather painful. The players skated off the ice, I glance over at Cordy, who was flirting shamelessly with a young hockey dad, and ignoring, her date Mr. wealthy. Then I looked at the other end of the row, wear Wesley and Elizabeth, were kissing.

When Wesley withdrew from the kiss, he reached it too his pocket, why would he do something bizarre like that in the middle of the kiss? Wesley had become quite the smoker (thanks to Elizabeth's chain smoking habits), but he wasn't that desperate.

Wesley went down on one knee. Elizabeth smiled quizzically, and all of a sudden it hit me Wesley was going to propose. I was surprised, it didn't seem like they had been dating very long, but then again I lived with Darla for a hundred years and we never even considered getting married, then again prostitutes, vampires, and churches rarely mix.

I nudged willow so that she wouldn't miss the moment. Plus I had to show off, that finally I had noticed something first. Willow turned towards the scene just as, Wesley popped the question.

Elizabeth looked dazed for a second then smiled, a rare event for the ordinarily tough bartender. "Yes I will".

Cordy clapped and twisted towards us showing me that she had her camcorder out and that she had been filming the whole thing. Wesley had planned this? At a hockey rink? So much for me being observant, Or Wesley being logical. Why propose at a loud cold hockey rink? Maybe Elizabeth likes Hockey? Oh well I will ask him later.

Please review: Next Chapter, Are mirror's ever kind to women? Don't worry it's a serious chapter, not a misguided attempt on my part to write humor.


	5. Light in Gilt Frames

**Disclaimer: **Angel Inc belongs to Whedon, and The Polka Dot Door, belongs to someone else too (but I don't know who).

**Authors Note:** Thanks ka-mia2286, I am glad that everyone, has liked Stella so far since generally original characters in fanfics are despised. Thanks for the four reviews Imzadi, they were much appreciated. I don't know if Lindsey and Fred will work there way into my story. Cody's rich boyfriend is just another pawn. Don't worry, she will get engaged later. Although Cordy and Wesley will continue to be secondary characters. In less I receive votes and suggestions for a chapter devoted to Wesley and/or Cordy's life/lives.

**July, 2014**

**Angel POV**

"Duck" Willow screamed, as I hurled my favorite battle-ax at the Coras beast. I know better then to disobey PMSing women, so I ducked as a therot Demon jumped over my bent back.

I grabbed my spare sword, and the therot landed next to me. I struck him in the back, with the sword, but it didn't seem to affect him at all. He turned towards me and charged. I was just about to run when Willow, blasted him with a flamethrower, needless to say that was the end of that.

Unfortunately the Coras beast was less flammable, so I kicked outwards in a traditional judo side kick that connected solidly with his head. The Coras fell backwards for a second but he quickly regained his balance and swung at me with his barbed tail. I grabbed the tail(avoiding the spikes as best I could), and pulled.

The Coras fell to the ground. I smiled down at him before using the sword to chop him in half.

Then I looked over at Willow, as she moved in for the kiss. We had been doing this for about five months now. It was just a quick kiss after a fight. Although the quick kiss was growing steadily longer. There were no formal negations, that surrounded our relationship, it just evolved at it's own pace.

But we hadn't gone all the way yet, even though the curse was no longer an issue. That had ended when Buffy died, turns out my definition of perfect happiness is one person.

Willo, is my wife in almost every traditional sense of the word, more then Buffy ever was.

When we kiss, it's lovely and comforting, hot chocolate, and a roaring fire, all rolled up into one.

Then the cell phone rings. I hate those things. I swear at it, and then push a button, hopefully the right one.

"Hi" I say into phone

"Angel you have got to come to The Forth Durango right now" It was Wesley's voice on the other end.

"Of course I was planning to stop by your bar after the patrol, and pick up Stella"

"Now"

"Now?" I ask "What is wrong?".

Wesley just hung up.

I grabbed willow's hand and we ran towards the bar. I hoped the problem wasn't spike, he had been threatening are existence for years now. There was nothing we could do to stop him, because of the sheer number of vamps that had rallied around him.

Although Spike was aware that between Willow and I, Angel investigation's had enough power (Magical and otherwise) to defeat most of his men. Perhaps we would even be able to defeat Spike during the battle. Spike wouldn't risk his own life, just to kill his daughter. Family blood is good, but it isn't nearly that sweet.

At least Stella was protected by a confusion spell that prevented Spike from seeing Stella. However the spell was hardly infallible, any human that knew Stella, only had to mention Stella's name to Spike, to break the spell.

We rushed into the bar. Willow was out of breath; obviously I didn't have that probably. The pub was crowded, but Wesley met us at the door and led up up to their apartment.

Stella was in the apartment, sitting on the floral couch (which Elizabeth detests but Wesley insisted on) staring at her reflection in the mirror. Elizabeth set besides Stella trying to comfort her..

I couldn't imagine why she needed comforting(Stella didn't seem to be seriously injured), and then something flickered. At first, I assumed it was just a light flickering, then I stared at the mirror. I could see Elizabeth reflection in the mirror but not Stella's.

I blinked, but still nothing. Then all of a sudden her reflection reappeared momentarily, then vanished. Willow, and I bent down to comfort our daughter.

Some of her vampire heritage was finely beginning to show through. But how could we explain the inexplicable? To strangers, to friends, to clients?

Cordy entered, through the apartment door. She didn't know the news yet, and before I could tell her she started giggling.

Was she drunk?

Then after a few seconds she stopped laughing, and pointed at willow's hand, which had attached to mine, at some earlier point in time.

We quickly disentangled, as Cordy calmed down "It's about time" She commented.

Then we told her the bad news

**Willow POV**

I tentivily entered the doctors office with, Stella, and a portable mirror. The vanishing act had gone on for almost a month now, Stella had been had been able to convince her friends that it was just a magic trick to, but that would only work for so long. All we needed to do was convince a doctor, that it was a strange medical phenomenon, and pin some Latin sounding name on the non-reflective issue. Then we would be fine. I hoped.

The doctor greeted us with a smile, and I explained the issue to him in details. He didn't believe me in till I pulled out the mirror. Then he called in the colleague: we are doomed, I thought we are truly doomed.

**Angel POV**

I paced, back and forth along the hallway.

"Sit down" Cordy ordered, calmly, "It will be fine."

The door opened before I could yell at Cordy for being so damn calm, Stella, and Willow entered. Smiling, that should be a good sign.

Stella ran up to me, and hugged me. Her hands sticky from too many popsicles. I grabbed her by the waste and lifted her up to eye level "Good news I hope?" I asked.

"Yes" Willow said with a smile. "We though we were in trouble at first. What with the specialist, and the doctors, and the medicine, and the" I kissed her out of happiness (and to calm her babbling).

The kiss was great. Although by the time we had stopped kissing, everyone else was staring at us. We ignored them, and willow continued. "Any way's as it turns out one of the doctors second cousins, had something like this. And they were perfectly fine and it was called Boxtavordian carpe. So they made an official note on her school record, and she's not cured, but it official. Stella has a very rare medical problem called Boxtavordian carpe. So, if some angry punk tries to stake her, Stella can stop them and say hey dude, I am not a vampire I have Boxtavordian carpe"

"Yes Willow, that's a problem Stella encounters every day" Cordy said sarcastically.

I defended willow half-heartedly, "it could happen. Although the dude part was a bit much. But Boxtavordian carpe, why couldn't they think up a more suitable term?"

Cordy stared at me not comprehending. But Willow replied excitedly "I know turn _like an ox pluck_? It must have been the only non medicinal Latin the doctor knew."

Willow truly was my kindred spirit. I was bending over to kiss her(again!) when, Stella's enthusiastic shriek interrupted us.

"Come, The Polka Dot Door, is on"

"Oh no" was the only reaction that I could manage.

"Aren't you to old too enjoy that?" Cordy asked

"Yes but I am just old enough to mock it with finesse. " Stella said.

We all followed her into the main room of the loft were the TV was. A commercial, about yo-yo's ended, and The Polka Dot Door started with an annoyingly cheerful song "The polka dot door, the polka dot door, come on into the polka dot door."

The song ended when a large green polkaroo entered the scene with his friends: a tall black man, and Cordy?

This was bizarre, and for me a vampire with a soul, who had a reflection less daughter, and a Wiccan ex lesbian lover, calling anything bizzare was quite a complement.

"So that's your new job?" willow said with a sly smile, as Cordy's character on polka dot door put on a giant banana costume, and sang the peel song.

Stella and I couldn't stop enough laughing long enough to mock that particularly episode. But there were many more to come.

**Next Chapter: **Please read and review, I know that I have covered a lot of ground so far, Cordy finely made it in show biz, Wesley found his Mrs. Whyndom-price, Stella lost her reflection (and a hockey game). However there is still death, misery, private school, and two marriages to come.


	6. A Talk and Privite school

**6. A Talk and Privet school**

**AN: **Was the last chapter that bad? I got no reviews. So I despretly need reviews this time. This chapter is divided into two separate smaller stories: A Talk, and Privet School.

**2015- Stella is 14**

**A Talk**

If you were on the Santa Monica boardwalk at 1 am on June 14th 2009, you would have seen a couple sitting on a picnic blanket.

An older woman, kissing her young lover in the dark. You might wonder why they were there in the dark. If there love, was forbidden, because of there age difference. But then you would see the young man eye's: dark, and deep, museum worthy eyes. Was he really young? Or was it just the light playing tricks on you.

If you listened to them as you passed them by, on your nightly jog, or on a pizza run, drunk or sober, you would have heard theses word's (after there lips parted) "what comes next?"

You might have believed the question to be rhetorical, if you heard it out of context, you would have been under the impression that it was trivial.

The question was none of the above. It was a women (willow) asking a man (angel) how they should raise a child (Stella), that was not there own. Should they tell there daughter, about her biological father (Spike) had gone all the way to Africa to a get chip (his one link to humanity) removed from, his scull after Buffy had dumped him?

How spike killed Buffy's friends off one by one. First Zander and Anaya as they walked down the aisle. Then Dawn as she left her school. Finally Giles as he left his girlfriends house one Saturday morning. He tried to willow, but her magic, and Buffy kept her safe.

Then he killed Buffy. He killed her because he could. He killed her because she had denied him access to Stella, his daughter who had loved once. He killed her because she had broken up with him (if not for their break up he would have never gotten the chip removed). Spike killed her because he had loved Buffy once, yet she had never loved him.

How could two parents tell the child that they loved but did not make, that her father was now a monster?

Sometimes Angel wanted to tell Stella, sometimes Willow did. But they both always knew that it wasn't the right time, that it never would be. So after a few minutes they returned to something they did understand kissing.

To most passerby's that was all that they would ever be, an odd couple who didn't have a worry in the world, and liked to kiss and eat in the wee hours of the morning.

Angel POV 

I was sitting in _the coffee bean and tealeaf (a coffe shop chain)_ on the corner of Tyler and pine. Sipping a gold coast blend, and drawing in my notebook. It was another picture of Buffy of course, although this time I had turned her into a fairy, complete with a rose petal bikini.

Stella should be out of her scrapbboking class in a half an hour, and I was stuck here in till then. I flipped the notebook pages searching, for the next blank page.

After I found it, I began to draw willow. She was admittedly more real, raw, and harder to draw, but just as beautiful. I drew her face first, then her body, clothed in a fifty's waitress uniform. Then on a whim I added the words eat at martyrs in a retro font to the top of the paper.

"Excuse me" A man's voice, interrupted my thoughts.

"Yes" I said in a tone of voice that made it very clear that I was not a person, who casually chatted with strangers.

'I couldn't help but notice your drawings, they are beautiful"

"Thanks" I said in a gruff voice

"Have you any formal training?"

I was tempted to say does Le Academy in Paris during the 1930's count? Instead I said no. He was probably, trying to recruit me to teach at some cheap, last-a-week art school.

"I know this might seem a little odd, but would you like to try your hand at advertising? I pay well."

"Excuse me" I said, taken aback.

"My names Jake Comber. I run an, advertising company called _Your Face Hear_, We need a good artist, hears my card." He handed me his car and I nodded

"Maybe someday,"

That's when Stella arrived, her class had let out early because, ms marquiz, had a bit too much bud lite, for lunch.

Willow, POV- AN Remember Willows pet name for Angel is Liam 

Liam woke me up in the middle of the night with all his tossing and turning. Finley I rolled over, and kissed him. he quitted down for a second, and I started to drift off to sleep when he spoke "IT'S bothering me, Stella gets accepted to the best private school in California, and we can't afford it. that makes us the worst parent's, in the history of bad parents."

"No, " I said. "We will let spike take the title of worst parent" immediately after the word's exited my mouth, I regretted them.

Instead of apologizing profusely (I had tried that before it hadn't worked) I said "We are just moral that's all. If only we could use are secret super powers then she would be head girl, me with my super hacker poweress, and you with your vamp strength, could be expert thief's"

"Actually" Liam said "I am not the best thief in the world, but mugging's never out of the question"

"Well there's always robin hood"

Angel didn't even bother dignifying that with a response. There was a momentary lull, and then his body began to shift again, if angel was an expert at anything it was brooding.

"I got a job offer last week, before Stella was accepted" His voice broke the silence. "I got Cordy to check up on the company online, and they are legitimate. So I phoned them up, and enquired about my starting salary. " there was a minute long pause. "It would be about, 45 thousand, Dollars a year, to start. Now I know that's not enough even with the partial scholarship. But I have a little saved away."

Liam paused, usually I'm the one who rant's. But I guess a lover that occasionally steals my shtick isn't that bad "What is the job?"

"Advertising, I would draw pictures to illustrate ad campaigns"

I nodded, He should take the job, In spite of his reluctance, he could help the helpless on evenings and weekends. He might even enjoy the change after so much, demon slaying, and stalker stopping monotony.

"I can always get a job too." I paused for a second, and then I remembered the obvious conundrum "But Angel how are going to go to work, you'd get sewer all over your business suit".

I could feel Angel smile in the dark "that's the best part, my new boss was willing to let me work from home."

**Next Chapter: Stella's POV, Spikes return, and a move. Please review this chapter to read the next one.**


	7. Tuck Everlasting: 2017

**7. Tuck everlasting**

**Authors' notes: **Three reviews, a happy author makes. Thanks Imizadi, for pulling double duty. I have now received two requests (from different reviewers) for cannon character cameos. So I have decided that in chapter ten (I have already written the rough drafts up to that point) some familiar visitors will drop by. Coolcarmellow: Willow. and Angel will marry, and so will Stella, eventually. Oh and in case anyone was wondering, polka dot door is actually a Canadian children's show (I don't if they have it in the states).

**Stella POV**

High school, even private high school is the epitome, of cliché's. Girls in lip-gloss, and too much mascara roam the halls like hyenas. Talking of boys and speaking in slang.

I have never been one of them, with their shortened catholic skirts. I am too close to my family to gets away with smoking at recess, drinking on evenings, and partying on weekend.

That said I am hardly alone here, there is always my best friend, fellow dreamer, and history buff, Lane. Although Lanes definition of history, does not agree with the one found in the dictionary. Hers tends more towards the Rolling stones, Cat Steven's, and the Richard Thompson, then Hitler, Gandhi, and Augustus.

I stepped out of my A.P. Latin class, and lane greeted me, no one dared to attend Latin class with me. I was that good or geeky depending g on your particular editorial bias.

"So my house" I volunteered, Lane loves the fire hall. And my parent's were less intrusive, then lanes. Not that my parents ever had a reason to obviously intrude.

"Of course." Lane replied

"That would be fine" Carol said in her evil dictator/ normal voice.

"Pardon" I asked, Carol is my nemesis, not a stop by have cookies, mock movies friend like Lane. Carol is obsessed with the occult, vampires, witches, and demon's, but definitely not in a good way. She naively believes that they are gods walking among us, and the minute the entire world recognizes this, we will all be delivered to heaven. Gossip, says she's an addict who hangs out at spike's. But even I don't believe she's that evil

Carol is unable to read the thoughts in my head so she continued, to live ,breath, and most unfortunately speak "School project, English. Remember?"

"Oh yes, the presentation on Elizabeth Barret browning."

"Of course" then noticing the glum look on my face she added "Don't worry I won't be there to long, I haven't seen it but I am fairly sure that hell would seem like heaven by comperason "

We walked to the fire hall in silence. Upon entering the fire hall and former detective agency, my mom greeted us. "Hi, Stella, Lane. And who is this"

Mom is still beautiful. her long red hair had streaks of silver in it. And the few wrinkles she acquired, just make her look distinguished.

"My name is carol, it's a beautiful place you have here ms?"

"Rosenberg, but call me willow" My mother extended her hand graciously , accidentally tipping over a framed Photo, Of Angel, Buffy, Dander, and herself, in the process.

Carol caught the photo befor it could fall, and my mother thanked her

"It's, no problem really, Ms Roseburg, it's a beautiful photo, How young were you there?"

"Oh only a couple of years, older then you."

'Who are the others in the photo?" carol enquired, being a little too polite for my taste.

"Oh, Angel my partner is on the far left, Buffy my friend is in his arm's, and on the extreme right, that's my childhood best friend Xander/"

I started upstairs leaving my mother to work on her accounting papers. How anyone liked being an accountant is beyond me but for mom, when the numbers speck, they don't swear.

We worked on the project for thirty minutes. Then Dad passed my doorway with a wave, he was too caught up with work, to manage more then that.

"That's the guy in the picture" Carol managed

"Of course" Lane said, Her temper had been on the verge of breaking free for almost an hour now, and there was more then a hint of untamed violence in her voice.

"He hasn't aged a bit"

Most people would take that as a complement. However my dad doesn't have that luxury, and he could here all this even from down the hall.

I tried to casually dismiss the remark "It's just his metabolism or something." Carol shut up, then and we finished the project in silence.

The Next Day:

I was walking, between U.S. history and Shakespeare class, when Carol confronted me, not with angry words, but a happy song "Stella so good to see you,"

"Excuse me?" I said unapologetically startled.

"I'm sorry how I treated you, I mean I didn't know you were the daughter of a vampire, but now its so obvious, I mean the whole no reflection thing, should have been obvious. I mean who would believe the whole Boxtaphordian Carpe thing?"

Numerous medical professionals actually, so I couldn't believe that carol of all people had seen through it. Even lane, which was practically my sister, hadn't figured it out yet.

What could I do but say "pardon"

That just restarted carol's interior monolog "So I told spike about it and he was so eager to meet you, and your dad" Great so the rumors were true. And the confussion spell willow had set, was broken

We were in danger, I ran to warn my parents, that's when I smashed into dad. It was a shock one does not expect to ones parent, at school, particularly when said parent is bleeding profusely.

He grabbed me by the hand and ran for the door, holding a giant black coat over his head, he ran through the sunlight for the car dragging me behind him. I could smell his flesh sizzle, we climbed into the car quickly, spoke unable to follow us into the sun.

Mom kept driving all through the night, I drifted in and out of sleep, hearing snippet's of my Dad's phone conversations. With Wesley and Cordy

"Thank goodness, they didn't attack your place too Cordy, Our house is nothing but ashes now"

"No, Wesley we will be fine, finically and otherwise, Willow procured some almost legitimate passports, for us"

"Yes we are moving away permanently, if Cordy get's a vision, hopefully I will be able to fly back and stop it in time. But she hasn't had one for sixth month's, and that one came in two days before the prophecy became realty"

Finely I fell into a deep sleep, listing to my dad's sad and steady voice and Dreaming of a new life full of discuses wooly mustaches, black turtlenecks, and monocoles.

**Next Chapter**: A Hospital Visit , A dance, and A wedding, although not neccerly in that order. What do you think of Stella's POV? The more you review, the faster I post.


	8. The Hospital Dance

**The Hospital Dance**

**Stella is now 16 **

**Dedicated To Lorna and Dennis, **Both loved, both lost.

**Author's Note: **The formatting of this chapter is a little different. It consists of three separate vinaigrettes that that take place at different points in time. Thanks got the review Jill Davis1.

**Phone Call **

**Angel POV **

I was in my studio, on the Toronto harbor front painting an ad for Colgate total when the phone rang.

I checked my watch as I answered the phone, if willow took much longer, I would have to go out and patrol before I saw her.

"Hello" I said into the phone

"May I talk to Mr. Summers?" I almost say no before I stop myself. That was the name on my fake passport, my name now for all intents and purposes.

"Speaking"

"A Ms Willow Rosenburg collapsed on the subway today, and you were listed as her next of kin."

If I had a working heart it would be pounding by now. In fact I could almost hear it.

"I am .. . Sort of. Is she OK?"

Oh please let her be OK.

"She's fine, an ambulance took her to Mount Sinai hospital. She had just fainted from dehydration."

Why couldn't they have told me that first. "So can I pick her up?"

"Well yes, but we have some other news to tell her, that she probably shouldn't hear alone. So could you please come down?"

"Can you tell me now, give me a warning?"

"I think it's better if you hear the news together"

"But. . ."

"No"

I rushed to the door. I made it to the hospital in twenty minutes. Ten of which were eaten up by hospital security.

I reached willow's bedside, she was awake, and talking to a beautiful, nurse with long brown hair

"Oh, here is my partner" willow said, and the nurse towards me with a smile on her face,

"Hi, Mr. Summers I'm Abbey"

I didn't reply, as nice as this woman seemed I had my priorities

Abbey smiled again, this time it was obviously forced.

"Of course, now I have something, important to tell you." She paused for a second as if she was trying to find a better way to reveal the news. "Willow, you have brain cancer".

Willow and I gasped in tandem.

"Now don't worry," Abbey said shaking her hand slightly "It's treatable"

Willow grabbed my hand. Most types of cancer were treatable in theory, and deadly in practice.

**Courthouse**

Stella's POV: a month later 

I slowly pulled on a pair of Jean's and a billabong, T-shirt. Today is my mother's birthday, but I wasn't in a celebratory mood.

People talk about death ruining their life in an instant. With cancer death is more insidious, it start's a week after the doctor's diagnosis with a visit to chemo (or radiation) Therapy.

After that, death tinges every moment. Not that my mom will inevitably die from cancer, the statistic's say she will be fine but lately, I've had doubt's,

Dad knocked on my door. "Can I come in?" he asked.

"I'm changing"

"Uh well then put something nice on"

"why?"

"A Surprise. Hurry though we are leaving in 15 minutes"

I was completely confused A fountainhead, foreign movie kind of confused. I quickly slipped on my beautiful, black cocktail style dress, shoved on a pair of black high heels, And ran for the door.

Mom and dad were also dressed up. Mother had her long red wig on, and a beautiful gold and blue Florence print dress, Father is wearing a black suit with a white business shirt. I had never seen him wear anything lighter then gray before.

I repeatedly asked were we were going only to be ignored, as my dad navigated the crowded traffic clogged street, the sky cloudy and overcast.

Dad parked, and then we entered the courthouse, and were met by judge Thomas. The judge assured us into her chambers. It took her minutes to marry my parents, to make Liam Summers and Willow Elizabeth Rosenberg, Man and wife.

I mean they had been my parents: a unit, for years, but they had no formal commitment to each other.

But now they had made it clear that they were more then a default couple (together only because it was convenient) they were officially in love.

After the perfunctorily ceremony, we got ice cream, that night I fell a sleep knowing that my mom would live.

**The last Waltz**

**Four month's later**

I was reading Our Cancer Year by Harvey Pekar on the streetcar, but other student's chatter kept interrupting my thoughts.

Stephanie was gossiping loudly about how dean, cheated on Naomi. Stephanie and her friend's then proceeded to have a rather lively debate on the merits of lipstick. I didn't care about any of this, since I didn't wear lip-gloss, and I knew for a fact that Naomi was a lesbian.

Carl Hanover was complaining about his mother again, calling her the Boring version of Courtney love, with all the drug's, and screaming, but no paparazzi. I met Carl's mother after our one and only date, she was quite nice particularly when compared to Carl himself, who was crazy even without drugs.

It hurts me to here other teenagers complain, about there parents, when I might loose my second mother. It was my stop so I exited, and headed over to the loft apartment I opened the door quietly.

My mother was lying on the couch, and chatting with my father, who against all probable odds was talking back. Most times my dad just sits there silently trying to figure out how to reduce the problems of the world into a sentence or less.

I stood silently in the doorway for a minute not wanting to interrupt their peace. A waltz came on the radio, old fashioned and beautiful.

Mom smiled at it, dad did too, even though he's more of a ballad man.

He leaned over mom and picked her up from the coach. Her body creaked as he picked her up. Dad hesitated; uncertain about weather he should do this. Mom urged him on, by gently stroking his wrist. So he stood up, my mother cradled in his arms. Looking very frail, and model skinny.

Dad moved slowly around the room, using waltz, like steps turning sharply he dipped the upper half of my mothers body. She giggled.

dad swirled left, then right. Gradually bringing her face closer to hers. Then as the last notes fell they kissed.

He pulled out first gingerly, and set her down on the couch. Carefully covering her with a quilt. Tucking her feet into the edge.

Willow smiled for a second then started to shake.

I tossed the pill bottle to dad he unscrewed the cap quickly. Willow opened up her mouth, and dad dropped them in, and tilted a glass of water, up towards her mouth.

She swallowed, and slowly after a few minutes she stopped shaking and spoke to me "how was your day?"

Mom already knew the answer, so I just smiled and started telling her about how Harvard was funded using opium money

**Review Please:** This was a long chapter thus it deservers (or rather the author desires), more reviews or at the very least longer reviews. So please, please, review.

The Next Chapter is too sad to speack of.


	9. Safe in the Light

**Authors Note/Next Chapter:** Thanks ka-mia2286, this was the hardest chapter to write. Particularly Since I had to write it twice: My computer ate it, and the chapter that followed. So extra review's pleased, because I need motivation to re-write the next chapter: in which a wounded Lindsey visit's, and Stella and Angel grow closer (to each other- not Lindsey).

**Disclaimer:** Angel still doesn't belong to me; neither does the song Born for me by Paul Westerberg

**Dedicated **to the lives, of John, Lorna, Sammy, Harvey, Hamish, and Jackie,

**Safe in the light (Stella is 17)**

They were up on the roof, the sky stretched wide and twinkling above them.

However they weren't looking at the sky, or the car lights that flew through the night street. Like spies on speed. They couldn't feel the warm air around them.

Angle took another gulp of jack Daniels, and Stella who had never seen her dad drink even half a can of beer, was astonished.

"Dad, you don't drink."

"Of course I drink. I'm Irish." Angel, didn't say that line, The Liam that had died centuries ago in an alley did.

Angel fell back on to the cool cement.

"The funerals tomorrow" Stella reminded him.

"Oh no, not another one" Angel said stubbornly.

Angel wanted the next day to come quickly, he needed the sun, he needed to prove to himself that light still excited.

As others stood on there roofs, and gazed out at the comet that was had appeared mysteriously in the night sky, Stella cried. And her father (drunk as he was) just lay there thinking of women whose laughter had now vanished.

**The Next Day**

The world was wet the next day, the rain falling fast and wet. Cordy arrived twenty minutes late with her reluctant fiancé.

Mr and Ms Berckly-Whendom-Price arrived dressed in black with their three-year-old Christine in tow.

Stella stood in the rain wearing a black dress. The same dress that she had, worn when she was the prime witness at her parents wedding.

Angel was wearing a new dark gray suit and a trench coat, his body soaked from the rain, and his face wet because of something else.

Willow's parents met their son in law for the first time that day. They did not shed a tear during the funeral, to them willow, had died long ago.

Wesley kept trying to stop Christine from practicing her ballet steps among the graves. But eventfully he gave up. No one noticed Christine, and her little attempt to redeem the day.

Angel insisted that only he and Stella carry the casket.

The rabbi droned on for an hour and a half in the rain. Only Cordy's fiancé Marcus noticed. He shivered in the water mourning the destruction of his new and now ruined shoes.

Angle ignored the water that dripped from his nose, he only thought of the way Willow spoke of books, and how she called him Liam in the dark.

Cordy remembered the time she had given willow a makeover: the hilarity that had ensued, as well as the insight

Stella dreamed of her mother: giver of much, creator of more.

Wesley remembered the kiss he stole from willow. The one the tastes like persimmon and licorice. It was before they had both gotten involved with Elizabeth and angle respectively, and It was right for that time and no other.

Elizabeth, remembered, her friend, her confidant. the babbler.

The rabbi finished and a song, carefully selected by Stella began to play

_When the loneliest eyes _

_and the emptiest arms_

_finally decide to meet_

_With a head in a lap _

_and a tongue tied in knots_

_The loneliest eyes _

_try and speech_

_You were born for me _

_Beautiful and blue_

Catharine, Elizabeth, Cordy, and Marcus, offered their condolences, and then left for their respective cars. Wesley still stood in the graveyard, wisely waiting for Angel to turn towards him.

"Angel are you fine?" Wesley asked.

"Don't call me Angel"

"Pardon?"

"Angelus belonged to Darla, Angel belonged to Buffy. I mean I still belong to Buffy in a way, my last name is Summer's still."

"Dad" Stella interjected on her way to the car "your babbling"

"What I meant, was Buffy redeemed the Vampire part of me, and Willow redeemed the human. So from now, on please call me what she did"

"Liam" Wesley said with a nod, rain dribbling down his chin, he turned and headed to his car.

Liam quickly got into his own card, water dripping all over the leather; he drove out of the graveyard quickly.

Chased by the last lines of the song:

_You'll be safe in the light _

_When we kiss, _

_When we breathe_


	10. A Vistor

**Authors Note/Next Chapter:** Thanks for the reviews serious fan, your questions will be answered (And they are good questions/speculations. Thanks for three reviews Imzadi. Because of your reviews the aforementioned, bridging chapter is rewritten. If my computer hadn't swallowed my first and second draft's whole it would have been up much sooner.

**Six Mounths Later **

**Stella: POV**

Every day I pass my mother by, drawn into a cocktail dress by my dad's hands. She smiles down at me from her poster across the street from the bus stop. From her perch she promotes Listerine (a product she never needed to use) to the world.

Last week I caught two small boy's practicing there kissing skills on her paper smile.

My grocery bag broke. Fruit, and noodles spilled all over the sidewalk. I bent down to pick them up.

Dad was away right now, dealing with one of Cordy's visions, leaving me to shop and cook for my self.

Every time he left me alone, I worried that he would go after spike. Right after Mom died he he wanted to kill Spike in spite of the impossible odds, or rather because of them. Without my mother, My dad wanted to die. Then he remembered me

I walked up the stairs to our apartment. The first few months after mom's death, we had several huge shouting matches, but we were slowly growing close again.

He even helped me out with my history homework. Unfortunately he knew more about the past then most historians. No one else was aware of Louis the 14th's affair (with Darla of all people). And I could hardly bring by 250 plus year old dad as an eye witness.

I unlocked the apartment door, fumbled for the light switch put my bags down on the counter, then I turned to get a glass of water.

That's when I noticed the man bleeding on the couch. I didn't scream. I just reached for the phone, and started dialing 911.

"Stop" the man on the couch said, I was so shocked that he could speack that I dropped the phone on the ground with a thunk. "I'm a friend of your dad's"

**Angel POV:**

I walked up the stairs to my apartment, tiredly. It's one in the morning and between the voliture demon, and Cody's martial woes I hadn't had a chance to sleep in days. In fact I hadn't really slept properly since Willow's death

I was eager to get home, to make sure Stella, was fine. I unlocked the door, and entered. II didn't bother turning on the light "Stella I said into the darkness.

That's when I noticed the smell of blood in the air. "Stella", the blood wasn't hers but it smelled vaguely familiar.

"In here" Stella replied. I walked towards her voice and my bedroom. Stella was standing in the doorway, her long hair loosely tied back in a braid

The first thing I noticed was the blood covering my since new silk sheets. Then I noticed the owner of the blood and I growled. "What is he doing here?"

Stella looked puzzled, "He said he was your friend"

"Have I ever said the name Lindsay in any context that could possibly construed as friendly?"

Stella's already abnormally white skin grew considerably paler, and she took a step back away from the bed.

"This is Lindsey?"

I nodded, and then turned my attention back towards the barely conscious Lindsey. "Now that you to have been introduced, get out."

"Why?" Lindsey asked.

Stella answered the question, since I considered it to be purely rhetorical "Because your evil"

"Not any more" Lindsey said. His voice was very low, and his sentence, was broken because of the pain. I almost felt sympathetic for him.

"How long have you been good this time? A day, a week?"

"I've been a reformed evil doer for five years now, angel. And you know that"

Stella stared at me, I gulped, and Lindsey continued, "Three years ago a Mr. Angel hired a private detective to follow me. Two years ago a lawyer named Mr. Summers, investigated my charity, and a month ago a young man named Liam flirted several secrets out of my wife"

"If you are reformed who beat you up?" I said my voice hinting at the evil that angelus was capable of.

Lindsey was silent.

"Get out" I repeated.

Stella stared at me, as Lindsey coughed, then proceeded to talk. His voice growing fainter by the second "In all fairness, I kept my eye on you as well, and I must say I was impressed by the way you raised spi"

"Stop" I shouted at Lindsey, and he obliged. 'Stella please step outside for a second" I asked.

Stella nodded and left the room.

"You should have told her" Lindsey said his lip curling up into sneer. "So are you still going to kick me out"?

I looked at Lindsey on my bed bleeding; I knew what he was capable of. What he had done, what he could do? If made him leave now, he could permanently destroy my relationship with Stella: my daughter in all but blood.

"No" I growled. As if I had a choice.


	11. Vanish

November 2021

"Romans considered it more honorable to commit suicide using a sponge on a stick then to fight the animals in the circus. Who knows what a sponge on a stick was used for in roman times?"

Professor Dewar's voice boomed across the classroom. Stella sitting five rows from the back was too shy to answer; the stranger besides her was not.

"It was the roman equivalent of toilet paper sir, except it was reusable "

Half the class gagged, as a few first year boys giggled, the professor glanced down at his watch "O.K. remember the midterms are a week from today."

Everyone had already half packed their bags before he had finished speaking, And Stella was jostled down the stairs and out the door. She walked home quickly, pushing past the individual students that began to congregate into groups. No one stopped to talk to her; she was anonymous among the masses.

Stella climbed the ock stairs to her loft apartment. She plunked her bag down on the floor and began to sift through its contents, searching for her elusive keys on their large plush hello kitty key chain. The door opened before she could successfully complete her search.

"Dad" Stella said with a smile and a hug "I didn't want to wake you up, did I?"

"You didn't" Liam replied with a smile "I was working on the new add campaign. Which operates on the general assumption, that women will only date men that wear echo jeans"

"And they say the Romans were crazy" Stella said flippantly "can I see it?"

Liam led her too his drawing table, which took up a good portion of the loft apartment "They also say that the Romans founded modern culter"

"Now that is a scary thought" Stella said as she admired the drawing. It was like all her fathers drawing clinically perfect, as if it was mass produced somewhere, without lead smears, or eraser rubbings. Stella dropped her bag besides the table. It fell a little to fast, the contents spilling out. Liam was down on the floor picking up the contents before she could stop him.

Liam mechanically put her mess of candy wrappers, drawings, books, and cds back into her bag in till he reached the scrap of torn lined paper, with the unfamiliar uneven writing on it.

"What is this" Liam said as he read the wavy, shaky, words.

I noticed you in class quite and alive. My name is James Cohn; I love Lobsters, The Cowboy Junkies, Kayaking, my little sister Ivey, and mist at night. My phone number is 416 312 542

"What do you think?" Stella said trying to act the part of a petulant teenager, for once in her lif.e

"I think that this guy genuinely likes you, but you should be cautious. I could always follow you on your first date, I am a good stalker" Liam said his hands almost trembled, but he stopped himself. His life was about to change, but that was nothing new.

"But dad"

"You have sacrificed a lot for me, Stella. You grew up moving every few years, so that no one would notice anything odd. You weren't mad when I missed every one of your softball games. You even understood that once you were 19, you could no longer introduce your friends to a father that was only six years older then yourself in appearance. . .You have but one life, you must live it"

"But what if he doesn't understand" Stella said still not entirely understanding what was happening here

"If he is right for you, he will" Liam said quietly Stella smiled, all would be right.

-Two weeks passed-

Stella, danced to her doors she felt as if stars surrounded her, James was the man she had read about in books for years, honest, loving, and thankfully eccentric. She grabbed the keys out of her purse and twirled in front of the door because she felt it. Stella unlocked the door and danced in, Mozart was playing, and there was a note on the table. Stella picked it up

Dear Stella

I love you more then anything, but you have grown beyond me now. The apartments rent is paid through 2036, and I added money to your bank account so you will never have to worry, about finances. But I need to go now; you need more, but I will always be there for your children and their children.

Love

Your Father (Adopted and otherwise)

Please Review: Any and all reviews are appreciated, since I have given up coffee for early lent (Don't Ask). I need reviews to keep me awake, or I will have to resort to caffeinated peppermints. So please review.

Next Chapter: We will witness an extraordinary accident, meet James, and A Private investigator searching for Angel


	12. Visting the Vistor

**Authors Note 1**:Thanks Coolcaramello, and Ka-mia 2286 for these reviews and so many others.

**Authors Note 2**: Sorry about the slow updates I am now writing two stories (as well as exams). If you wish to read my other story: Allegiance (An AU story about spies, Government conspiracies, and Angel) visit my bio page or the BtVS section. It is already six chapters long

**Stella POV: 7 years later**

I was cooking green bean stir-fry for dinner when the phone rang. I didn't want to answer it. I was exhausted, after a day of teaching first year students about Spartan homosexual love; I needed coffee not a phone call.

But James wasn't home yet, and I could hardly convince, my three-year-old daughter Clair to answer it, and timothy at age five was even worse. He had a habit of shouting the word "Po-lice" Into the phone whenever he had the chance

So I answered the phone, my hands covered in soy sauce, "Cohen residence"

"This is Phillip Marlow, may I speck to Stella please".

My breath left my body for a second in shock. The detective I had hired last week to find Angel was phoning me already "Specking"

"I made some progress. You mentioned that Liam Summers was an alias, so I wasn't surprised when the name didn't show up in any database. But Lindsey McDonald's, name immediately turned up. He is currently living here in Toronto"

Why would Lindsey be living in Toronto? I mean it's a nice city and all, but it's a long way from cowboys, and country music? "What's his address?"

"9 browning Ave" I wrote the address down, just before I was about to ask for the whine number, my apartment door opened. James entered with a smile on his face, and a soup stain on his shirt. I hung up the phone.

James greeted me with his kiss, the lips now familiar, were still a perfect match for mine.

When we broke, so that I could stir the beans James spoke "Who was on the phone?"

"Wrong number" I said, adding salt to the beans. I couldn't tell him the truth, he didn't know about my father, not the truth anyways. Not the quite man with a body that now appeared to be younger then my own.

James wasn't naïve. he knew about vampires, he has even staked one. But that wasn't the same as accepting that your wife had been raised by one. James thought of me as orphan. My parents were only fragments of stories loved, but dead.

Liam had been at our wedding, but he had just been a face in the crowd nothing more. I had tired to stop him, to get him to stay, but he wouldn't listen. He had tears in his eyes but he didn't stop, he let my brother in law give me a way at the alter.

Then James said, "The beans are burning" I rushed back to the stove and turned it off.

The Next Day:

I dropped the kids off at daycare, half an hour early, and then I drove to 9 browning ave. I parked the prius, in the driveway, and then approached the house. The modern design of the place wasn't quite my style but then again I didn't live there.

I approached the door and knocked. What was I expecting of Lindsay?

That was the last thought I had when the door opened and there was Lindsey his hair graying slightly, he must be almost sixty now, with the same wicked smile on his face.

"Hi, come in" he said treating me like an old friend or Client, rather then the daughter of his ex-nemesis.

I accepted his offer, and followed him through the large dinning room. "Would you like something to drink?" He offered.

"Tea please"

Lindsay nodded "Your just like Wesley in that regard, "

I followed Lindsay into the kitchen. In the kitchen my mouth dropped a little further. On the wall next to the stainless steel stove there was a drawing of a beautiful Asian women. It's not that I knew the women (I didn't), but the artist I knew by the lines.

Lindsey watched my reaction with his measured smile, and intense eyes. I had grown to know that look well during his weeklong stay. The smile told me that Lindsay had orchestrated this, and he wanted me to know that angel was still here in Toronto with me.

"Do you like it?" Lindsay asked

He wasn't expecting an answer and I didn't 't give him one "Is he still around?"

Lindsay poured the tea into ceramic cups before answering. "He left last week"

Of course he did, if he hadn't Lindsey would have never let me in, I took another sip of the tea "so you are friends now"

Lindsay scoffed, then he actually thought about the question " We are more busses partners"

I nodded, what was Angel doing here with Lindsey? Was he looking after me? Or had he just never bothered moving out of Toronto. I could have asked the question out loud but Lindsay wouldn't have answered it.

"Whose the girl" I asked pointing at the drawing again

"My wife"

"Oh" I wanted to ask Lindsay more questions ut hi knew he couldn't, or rather wouldn't answer them. I was about to burst into tears. I let myself out without explanation. . I could always return later

I cried in the car, I couldn't go to work, not today anyways. Maybe I could pull my kids out of daycare and we could play hooky together. As long as it involved ice cream I should be fine.

So I drove back to the nursery school. My attempt to fix my face with make up didn't work.

All the kids were outside playing in the yard. Timothy wasn't there though. I looked around trying to find him. Then I caught a glimpse of something small and red run across the street on the other side of the playground it was timothy.

How did he get out? I screamed to get his attention. He turned towards my voice, just as a car turned the corner barreling at him.

The Next Chapter is The Last Chapter: Some James, Some Lindsey, and some Liam.

Review Please


	13. The guirdian

**Authors Note:** Thanks Imzadi: Lindsey was beaten up in chapter 10, by a demon because one of his buissnes deals went bad. Even though we never meet his wife she is a tradional korean women and an art dealer (think Sun from the telavision show lost). They have no kids. Hopefully the following will answer all your questions

**Authors note 2**: T.A. is a teacher's assistant; professors usually have two or three, to help grade papers . The Second Cup is a Canadian Coffeshop Chain (Think starbucks but with better mochaccino's).

**Stella POV**

I ran my arms moving uselessly in the wind, my throat was empty and dry. I couldn't breath, but I kept going. I was not about to let anything little (like the current absence of oxygen in my brain) stop me.

I was running towards the car and my son, but I was too far away to realistically arrive in time. Then when all hope had vanished, a figure clothed entirely in black ran in front of the car, grabbed my son, and began to run fast. Faster then a human but slower then Superman.

My whole body yelled dad, and I ran towards my son and the mysterious figure. It must be Liam, mustn't it? But by the time I had reached Timothy there was no stranger next to him, no savior in the shadows.

But I forgot all about that at the moment so relived was I that timothy had survived.

Later in my own Car (Timothy sleeping next to me) I wondered, Could it have been Liam? The sky was over cast, and the figure was heavily clothed. It was possible.

Did it matter? It's not like I could take Dad home and introduce him to my family. It's not like I could ever let James see him. I started crying again at the stoplight.

I had even more question's now, for the one person who thought he had all the answers

**Lindsey POV**: Three A.M. the Following Morning

Stella didn't cry this time. She just set down on the leather couch as if this were her house. Then after refusing the offer of tea, she started asking questions. Stella didn't stop, in till an hour and a half later.

All the questions were important, some I could answer, and others I wouldn't. But she asked them anyways.

Where did Liam live? I knew that he lived in a harbor front loft apartment with three tropical fish, but I couldn't tell Stella that.

The next question I could answer: What was my relationship to her father? We ran a business together. I Legally extracted people from contracts with demon's (for money of course, why help the hopeless for free when you can extort a fee?). If my legal attempts don't succeed, Liam steps in.

She understood, the logistics. While the very word demon sent chills up my wives spine, Stella just greeted with a nod

Stella's brow wrinkled as I spoke about her father's quite life. How he still watched over her family from a distance, how he still wouldn't stop talking about her.

She asked if he had a girlfriend? I almost laughed. Liam's heart had been lost too long ago, to be rediscovered now.

Stella almost asked me who her real father was, and I would have told her too. I don't owe Liam that much. But she stopped herself.

These questions contented, in till finally I got to ask one " why are you here now? At three o' clock in the morning"

Stella blushed, and I could see the child in her again, if only for a second. "It is three isn't it" she paused for a second, and breathed deeply. "I think he saved my son's life today"

Liam couldn't have. I know he is in L.A. right now, tracking down a demon or saving cord's marriage, either or. I couldn't tell Stella that, Cordy and Wesley had told her time and time again, that they hadn't seen Liam in years. So I just smiled and said good night. She let herself out,

I got off the purple couch, my bones creaking, and my body tired. I headed towards the kitchen and poured a glass of merlot took a sip of wine. Looked out the window into the night garden.

Then turned around to grab a cracker from the cupboard. That's when I saw Liam, and swore out of shock.

"Really. Some warning please. I'm old now, and fragile"

"I'm older" Liam said. With that smirk on his face, the same smirk that he to threatened me with in the good old days. Even now he would never let me forgot that we weren't friend's only business partners.

"What are you doing here?" I asked taking another sip of wine

"Eavesdropping"

"No not about that, I already assumed the you overheard my conversation with spikes.. Umm your daughter"

Liam nodded in confirmation. And I continued, "No, what are you doing in the country I thought you were in L.A."

"I Was in LA, when got a hunch, came back here this morning"

"So you did save Timothy?" Liam didn't nod, he didn't have to. I knew.

**James POV**: A week later

I picked up a cup of coffee, at The Second Cup next to my office. I sipped my coffee noisily as I entered my office, in all its dingy glory. I was hours behind in my work.

I was about to pick up my phone, and call Stella and say I wouldn't make it back home in time for a dinner's or even breakfast. Then a knock interrupted my dialing. I hung up the phone "Come in"

My TA entered his Hair gelled in a now outdated style, and his body clothed in a suit that even I couldn't afford. He wasn't the traditional TA, covered in the odor of disenfranchised youth, and clad in jeans and a greasy t-shirt.

Liam had an ancient soul, which explained his clothes, and the fact that he brought in all his marked papers a day early. He was in short, my guardian angel. Which is coincidently his last name.

"Do you have any extra work for me?' Liam asked

"Actually" I said pulling one of the huge stacks of paper, off my desk "I do". I thanked him and as he left the office, I realized that for the first time in three days I could make it home for dinner.

**The End** (Kind of)

**Please review:** and if you wish to know about the future of Buffy's decedents from 2018 to 2300, read (and if your really nice leave a review at the end) an honorable lineage. The first chapter is a repeat the rest is new. To find an honorable lineage visit my bio page


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